5 things to think about before starting a paint project

Here at Inspirations Paint, we love a paint project like a Labrador loves a chop. We get so excited when we hear about people starting paint projects, and love to share all our hints and tips with you to help you get your job completed. But before you start asking about surface prep, colour selection and how to use tape, there’s a big step in the D.I.Y journey that we wanted to share some tips with you – the pre-preparation. And while you may already have this covered, we just wanted to make sure you consider the sometimes forgotten (until the last minute) steps to completing your DIY project.

1. Think about how a room being out of action is going to affect your day to day life

Often in the excitement of starting a new project, we don’t stop to consider how the actual project is going to affect our day to day life. A room can be out of action for in excess of a week by the time you properly prepare a room (sanding, repairs, cleaning, etc), paint a room and allow ample time to dry and cure before you begin to bring furniture back in to start using the room again. Make sure you have a good plan for how life will continue without being able to use a certain room – maybe consider giving your dining room a makeover in warmer months and take advantage of the summery weather and dine outside while the room is being completed. When it comes to giving your kids’ room a refresh, give your kids enough time to get used to the idea of sharing a room while the project is completed. If sharing a bedroom will cause your kids to start World War 3, think about doing this project in the school holidays and send the kids to grandma’s!

2. Have a good “furniture relocation plan”

As well as planning for the room being renovated being out of action, also consider what you will do with your furniture whilst you are completing the project.

You may want to consider temporarily moving the furniture that lives in the to-be-renovated room into a room that isn’t used as much, or can easily be not used for a week or so – maybe a dining room, spare room, home office or a garage. This option is best for when you are need large space to move around and have equipment (e.g. ladders, etc), or you are painting smaller rooms that really need the furniture moved out to give you the best painting space.

If you don’t have a room available to move furniture, or would just simply prefer not to, head into your local Inspirations Paint store to have a chat about purchasing drop sheets to place over your furniture to protect it during your project. If you choose to use drop sheets, move the furniture into the middle of the room to not only allow you more space to paint the room, but also to better protect your furniture from any paint.

3. Pack your bags!

Another hot tip is to pack a week’s worth of essentials from that room that you would use regularly through the duration of your painting project, which is particularly helpful when painting bedrooms. Whether you have chosen to leave your furniture in the newly painted room, or have relocated it elsewhere, there is a chance that your belongings may not be able to be easily accessed. There’s nothing worse than not having easy access to your closet when trying to get ready for work or the kids ready for school, so pack the essential items you’ll be using from that room into a suitcase for the week. Living out of a suitcase isn’t always fun, but if you think about it, it’s just like being on vacation … right?!

4. Paint with no regrets

When it comes time to think about a refresh project, it’s always the walls that are considered first, and sometimes the only consideration. Walls are, of course, the main feature that will give a room a new look and feel after a make-over, and a lot of time and consideration goes into selecting the right wall colour, including deciding whether or not to have a feature wall. However, don’t discount the effect that the other elements of the room can have on your final product. Make sure you have a think about refreshing your ceiling, skirting boards, door frames and window frames etc. at the same time as you do your walls – it will save time and expense in the future! You don’t want to complete your paint project and then regret not painting the ceiling!

5. Prep a good playlist

Yep, you read right! Unlike us, we know that not everyone enjoys the actual paint process, in fact some find it (pardon the pun) as boring as watching paint dry. But even us who love the painting recognise just how important it is to take the time to prepare the best YouTube playlist or mix-tape to blast while you're painting. You are going to be spending a lot of time string at the same four walls over the course of your D.I.Y paint project so best to pump those tunes, and dance like no one’s watching in between breaks.

While our expert staff at your local Inspirations Paint store may not be able to help you move your furniture or suggesting the best playlist, they are definitely full of all the knowledge and advice when it comes to completing your paint project. Head into one of our stores and have a chat to our teams about the most appropriate tools for the project, colour selection and of course the best hints and tips for competing your actual paint project.